On Friday, February 27, the Department of State will host the second round of talks to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.As with the first round, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson will lead the U.S. delegation. Josefina Vidal, Director General of the U.S. Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will again head the Cuban delegation.These talks continue the dialogue initiated by the parties on January 22 in Havana, Cuba, and are a key step in implementing the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relations announced by President Obama on December 17, 2014.The talks are scheduled for one day, from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m.There will be a camera spray at the beginning of the talks covered by press pools from each delegation. Press participating in the pool will be informed separately. Video footage and photos will be available.At the end of the talks, heads of delegations will hold sequential press availabilities — first Cuba, at about 4:00 p.m., then the United States. They are both open to the press. No prior registration is required. The press availabilities will be live-streamed at www.state.gov. Broadcast quality video can be downloaded at www.dvidshub.net/usdos. Online video on-demand will be at www.state.gov.Pre-set time for video cameras: 3:00 p.m. from the 23rd street entrance.Final access time for writers and still photographers: 3:30 p.m. from the 23rd street entrance.Media representatives may attend this briefing upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification (driver’s license or passport).For further information, please contact WHAPress@state.gov or the Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-2492. Follow @StateDept, @USAenEspanol, and @WHAAsstSecty for more information.

Selwyn Manning, BCS (Hons.) MCS (Hons.) is an investigative political journalist with 23 years media experience. He specializes in reportage and analysis of socioeconomics, politics, foreign affairs, and security/intelligence issues.
Selwyn has extensive experience as a commentator and has provided live political analysis to a wide range of television and radio organizations broadcasting in New Zealand, Australia and globally including the BBC (Five Live, London) and BBC (World Service). He is currently a correspondent to Australia's FiveAA radio, and is a regular live-on-air panelist on Radio New Zealand's The Panel with broadcaster Jim Mora.